SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Serving the Community beyond the Church
We are grateful for your prayerful consideration of how best to serve
The Outreach Committee would like to encourage parishioners and parish groups to reach out to others, particularly those in need. We commit to outreach ministries that will meaningfully and transformatively engage with people in the outside world. We encourage both financial and hands-on support. We also work to achieve inter-faith unity through reaching out to other religious groups. Contact Jean Paré or Deni Cantrall.
St. Andrew's Community Thanksgiving Dinner
The parish provides a Thanksgiving meal at lunch time on Thanksgiving Day. Anyone in the community is welcome.
Commitment: a few to many hours on Thanksgiving, also food and table preparation on preceding days
Who Benefits: our fellow parishioners and people in local community
Contact: Catherine Tecktiel
St. Andrew's Parents Day Out Program
Parish program that provides a safe place to play for toddlers in the community.
Time commitment: anywhere from a few hours, substitute care givers, periodic cleaning
Who Benefits: Two- and three-year-old children in the local community as well as the children of St. Andrews, learning through unstructured play. Parents benefit with time for themselves.
Contact: Janine Pickett
St. Andrew’s Vacation Bible School
Parish program to provide a week-long fun program to share the Good News with young people in the community.
Time commitment: anywhere from a few hours to many tens of hours for planning preparation and teaching
Who Benefits: Four year olds through 5th grade children in the local community as well as the children of St. Andrews learn about and experience God and Jesus
Contact: Hannah Andrews
Burgess Square Sunday Worship Service
(Skilled nursing facility) www.burgesssquare.com
St. Andrew's provides a service for the residents of Burgess Square on Sundays. (temporarily suspended)
Time commitment: an hour any Sunday at 10 am to assist one of our Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Who Benefits: You will as the residents are so joyful and thankful, your spirits will be lifted! Residents are primarily elderly and needing skilled nursing.
Contact: Jean Paré
Casa Hogar La Familia and Embrace the Dream Foundation – Children’s home in Mexico
Embrace the Dream Foundation: www.embracethedream.com
Casa Hogar La Familia is a Christ-centered children’s home just outside the city limits of Quecholac in the State of Puebla, that provides love and care for orphaned and abandoned children in Mexico.
Time commitment: Varies from a few hours attending benefit events once or twice a year, to many hours planning and working benefit events, to week long mission trips to Casa Hogar.
Who Benefits: The children and youth of Casa Hogar who for a variety of reasons need parenting and a safe home with access to education.
Contact: Father Gregg for future plans
CROP Walk
Community walk to raise awareness and funding for those who are hungry around the world.
Time commitment: an hour the afternoon plus securing sponsors; Generally in September/October
Duties available: Be a walker and secure sponsors. Sponsor walkers with monetary commitments.
Who Benefits: people around the world and in our community who are suffering from hunger.
Contact: Mary Ann Wiesner or Ellen Webb
FISH Food Pantry and Clothes Closet
A faith-based all volunteer organization which serves people in need with a food pantry, clothes closet, emergency rent and car repair assistance.
Time commitment: Place non-perishable groceries in blue grocery cart at St A, provide rides to medical appointments, answer phone calls from people seeking aid
Who Benefits: FISH clients for groceries, rides to medical appointments, people needing support
Contact: Waring Webb
Hope’s Front Door
www.hopesfrontdoor.org
Based in downtown Downers Grove, Hope's Front Door is a not-for-profit organization that assists economically disadvantaged individuals and families, the homeless, disabled or elderly neighbors who lack sufficient resources to provide for themselves.
Volunteer Opportunities Include: Client Interviewer, Health & Wellness Assistant, Facilitator, Data Entry, Job List Developer, Employment Counselor
Time Commitment: Approximately 2 hours per shift. The number of shifts volunteered in any month is up to the individual volunteer
Who Benefits: Residents of 6 local communities, PADS clients and other DuPage residents with a referral in need of food, gas/transportation, medicine, oral healthcare, vision healthcare as well as financial counseling and employment coaching.
Contact: Kathy Nazzarini or Hope’s Front Door at 630-322-9803.
Magdalene House Chicago
Magdalene House Chicago
Magdalene House Chicago (MHC) is a two-year residential program and social enterprise for women survivors of trafficking and addiction. MHC provides a survivor-led sanctuary, centered around a phase-based recovery program. Each woman is given a clean, safe place to live, case management, access to healthcare, counseling, education, life skills training and employment, free of charge. A home is open in the western suburbs demonstrating that Love is the most powerful force for change.
A line item has been established on our church donation web page to assist with funding the program. Sign up for newsletters at Magdalene House Chicago for information on advocacy, as well as volunteer and engagement opportunities as they become available.
Contact: Deacon Rose Cicero.
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
Time commitment: A St. Andrew’s group provides a home cooked meal for 6 Vets every Tuesday evening and one Thursday a month. Meals are prepared at home and delivered to the Larson Home. Also possible to join the Veterans for dinner.
In addition we donate items to the Freedom Commissary, the “free” thrift store designed to meet the clothing, household and basic needs of low income veterans and their families
Who Benefits: U.S. Veterans of any era are provided with transitional housing and supportive services at the shelter.
Contact: Manuel Lopez
PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter)
When the DuPage PADS congregate sites shut down in March of 2020, PADS arranged for people in need of shelter to be housed at local hotels. One of the sites was the Red Roof Inn on frontage road of Butterfield Road in Downers Grove.
Over the past months, DuPage PADS raised the funds to purchase and renovate the Red Roof Inn, now called the Interim Housing Center. In March 2022, PADS closed on the property and began to move in families who now return daily to the same room, the same bed, the same home and the child residents are exhibiting increased mental health and positivity because now they have a place to call their own, a wonderful benefit.
Along with a secure place to live, residents are in need of regular meals. Many churches have joined forces to provide dinners every evening, 52 weeks a year. The Church of the Holy Nativity in Clarendon Hills has asked St. Andrew’s to partner with them; therefore, a SignUpGenius is available for parishioners and friends to be engaged in this wonderful mission. Thank you and many blessings!
Who Benefits: people in local community in need of a meal and a safe place for the night
Contact: Jean Paré
ReVive Christmas Baskets for Families in Chicago
St. Andrew's provides Christmas gifts for families in need in the Chicago area.
Commitment: several hours of shopping and monetary investment to purchase gifts each November
Who Benefits: low-income families and seniors in Chicago at Christmastime
Contact: Jennifer Robbins
Sandwich Board Meals
Feeding anyone who comes for a hot meal at Trinity Episcopal, Aurora the second Thursday of every month.
Time Commitment: 2 hours to pre-cook entree the second Wednesday of the month with congregation donated food items. The next day, Thursday, 5 hours to deliver, prepare and serve a buffet-style meal at noon, clean-up and return to St. Andrew’s.
Who Benefits: The guests we serve and indirectly, the Sandwich Board crew.
Contact: Donna Armstrong
St. Leonard's House - Residents' meal preparation
St. Leonard’s House provides interim housing and supportive services for formerly incarcerated men returning to the community from Illinois prisons.
Time commitment: a few hours Sunday afternoon twice a year at different times during year.
Who Benefits: St. Leonard’s House residents who are rebuilding their lives post-incarceration
Contact: Ellen Webb
Wayside Cross
Wayside also provides meals, transitional housing while in recovery, training, mentors through the local church, and daycare for working women in program.
Time commitment: Donate furniture and household items anytime by contacting Wayside. May bring items to church at annual collection. Provide sales floor coverage (2-3 hours) at retail store.
Who Benefits: Wayside Cross residents who depend on the resale income to support WCM programs
Contact: Kurt Wiesner
